Astoria to British Columbia

We leave Columbia and Head towards Washington.  That's some bridge.

It keeps going and going

and going

We are now in the State of Washington

Glad to see they have a sense of humor

We lay over at a rest area in Elma, WA.  Find this Trillium while walking Tucson

We get up early to get through Seattle

Its a little busy but is moving

Until it wasn't.  Fortunately only about a 15 minute delay and then smooth sailing

Until we leave the Walmart at Bellingham and can no longer ignore the grinding noise when braking.  We are headed to a Goodwill in Marysville, and stop for Gas where some jerk that is parked and blocking our access to the pumps refuses to back up 5 feet when we ask and throws us the finger.  We manage to get to the pumps anyway and Gary asks the couple next to us if there is a tire place nearby- they send us down the road to Les Schwab.  It is going to be 30-45 minutes to look at it so I walk the 1/2 mile to Goodwill.  I find a few items and as I'm leaving Gary is coming in.  We head back to Les Schwab to find out the Truck needed new Pads, Rotors and Calipers, it was a little more than my Goodwill run.

We are more than ready to cross the border

They let us in!

Drive by lots of fields with what at first looks like vineyards, but I comment that I've never seen grapvines trained like that.

Shortly before our turn-off we have decided they are raspberries.  Looks like we were right

But then how am I going to take pictures for my Blog???

Last chance to change our minds!

Encountered quite a bit of traffic here - they were having a Tulip festival

 

Looks like maybe some snow in our future

Our journey north begins on Route 1

Oregon Coast - Astoria

A nice day to drive to Astoria. You can't tell from the pictures, but these are flashing green - go! go! go!?

 We need to look for gas and a place to get some fish and chowder before leaving Oregon!

 This restaurant is right next to the gas station and there is a large parking lot across the street - sold!

 A nice view and we keep seeing a Trolley go by so Gary goes over to the two ladies across from us and asks about it.  We find out we can ride all day on and off for $2 or Stay on for $1

 So we hop on!

 Darn!  We could have brought Tucson!

 There's the bridge we'll be taking to Washington

They built this hotel on the Cannery Site and kept the look of it.

 Nice murals on the buildings depicting early days of Astoria.  Notice the seats, at the end of the line you grab the handle and the back slides over the seat so it is then facing the right way.

 I could live here, especially the one on the right backs up to the water

 They have sea lions here too

 There were a lot of large ships by the mouth of the River

We're at the Coast Guard Station - time to turn around

 

We turn around and ride back all the way to the train garage so they can change conductors

We get off a couple of stops before our RV so we can walk a bit.

On the walk back I take a break at Astoria's smallest beach

 What a great way to spend the afternoon, but time to get back on the road!

Oregon Coast - Beverly Beach to Ft. Stevens

 Time to leave Beverly Beach.  Before hooking up I take Gary back to Newport to see the Sea Lions.  Tucson did not like it at all.  Not as many this morning as yesterday afternoon, but still impressive

 While trying to coax Tucson onto the Pier with biscuits, I hear a big Splash, turn around to find all the Sea Lions have left the floating docks.

 Turns out it is time to repair them.  While the two workers are on the docks fixing them, another is up on the pier banging on the metal posts to keep them from coming back and attacking the workers because they do not like to be displaced.

 Most have relocated to a nearby rock

 They try to climb up onto a recently returned fishing boat

 The net is full of fish parts - probably for crab or shrimping.

 It's a pretty busy harbor

 Time to head out - we'll avoid the road too well traveled

 We get bits and pieces of sunshine up the coast

 We planned on staying at Ecola State Park and check out the coastline and try to catch a view of the Tillamook Lighthouse

 But we get there and it is closed due to road collapse.  I hike up the steep road to the beach to see if I can get a shot of the lighthouse and get caught in a hail storm only to find no view of the lighthouse. 

 We end up at Fort Stevens State Park.  Fortunately they have a site for one night as the next day is the Astoria Crab, Seafood and Wine Festival

Another nice Oregon Park. 

Tucson is ready for hike so we decide to walk to the Ship wreck on the beach.  I understood the ranger to say it was 1 mile.  Turned out to be closer to 2.  Hope the Turkey Breast in the oven doesn't get overdone.

Guess we won't take this trail

 

 The Peter Iredale was a four-masted steel sailing vessel that ran ashore on October 25, 1906, en route to the Columbia River. She was abandoned on Clatsop Spit at the beach by Fort Stevens.

Who sunk my battle ship?

Tucson finds a little doggy cabana

We come back to find our fire is still burning and stoke it up.

We burned a lot but still had 8 pieces left so we left them as we can't take them into Washington or Canada

The next morning on the way out we visit the fort.

The fort was built to protect the North against an English invasion from Canada, should the British join the Civil War on the Confederate side it was primarily an Earthwork.  

In 1897, to improve coastal and harbor defenses, Fort Stevens began a massive refortification program. When completed, eight concrete batteries – including mortars and long and short range rifles – were constructed. 

 There are still remnants of the Civil War days

 Next Stop Astoria